


Sleep, Sweet Prince

by Angelike



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: AU!Pudsey!Camelot Meme, Alternate Universe, Anachronisms, Children in Need, Comment Fic, Cuddling, Flash Fiction, Fluff, M/M, POV Third Person, Past Tense, Podfic Available, Podfic Welcome, Pre-Slash, Pudsey 'verse, Sleep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-22
Updated: 2009-11-22
Packaged: 2017-10-03 13:44:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelike/pseuds/Angelike
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin forgot to pack Pudsey before the fabulous four left for Tintagel. Arthur is not best pleased. How is he supposed to sleep without his bear?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sleep, Sweet Prince

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the 2009 Children In Need fund raising commercial. See it [here](http://feilongfan.livejournal.com/219346.html).

“I’m sorry, sire,” Merlin confessed at long last, “but I seemed to have forgotten to pack Pudsey.” His eyes were shadowed in the flickering candlelight, exhaustion exuding from the poor boy in waves from where he crouched over Arthur’s luggage, shoulders hunched. For a moment, Arthur found himself tempted to reach out and pet him as he might a woeful puppy, but he manfully resisted.

“Merlin, you _idiot_,” he said instead, “you know I can’t sleep without Pudsey!”

“I know! And I swear to you, I thought I had packed it, really I did! In fact, I distinctly remember packing it right next to your Nintendo DS, only, only—”

“Only it’s not there.”

“No. It’s not anywhere.” Merlin rubbed his eyes tiredly. “And Morgana didn’t filch it this time, either.  I checked—which you so _owe_ me for. She now thinks I have a creepy panty fetish. Or that I’m trying impress someone with kinky lingerie. Possibly both. Women are _terrifying_.”

“Wha—?”

“Please, for the love of all that is holy, _don’t ask_. I’m repressing the memories.”

Wisely, Arthur snapped his jaw shut, contemplated his miserable friend for a moment, and sighed gustily. “Well, I suppose there’s nothing for it. If it’s not there, it’s not there. It’s not as if you could magically conjure it out of thin air.” Merlin flinched. Arthur ignored him. “Why don’t you get ready for bed and we can both try to get some sleep. If we leave early, we should reach Tintagel by sundown tomorrow.”

Merlin nodded, lips quirked thankfully, and set about his nightly washing regime (he was remarkably fastidious for a peasant) and darted behind the changing screen like the girl he so obviously was to shuck his travel-stained clothes and step into his sleep things. He emerged yawning blearily and looking far less strained than he had just moments before. The private smile he offered Arthur right before he put out the candles did not make Arthur’s stomach flutter—not at all.  Surely that was just his dinner disagreeing with him.__

 “G’night, ‘thur,” Merlin slurred, his ability to form complete words apparently having given way to his desperate need to sleep at last. Arthur could dimly see him stumbling toward the tiny servant’s cot at the other end of the room and frowned.

“_Mer_lin,” he demanded petulantly, “what are you doing?”

“Um, goin’ t’ sleep?”

Arthur groaned. “Get over here.”

“What?” Merlin whinged noisily, but obeyed.

When he was standing within an arm’s length, Arthur slid back, making room, and lifted the blankets invitingly. Merlin blinked owlishly down at him. “Come now, it’s not rocket science. You forgot Pudsey, you pay the consequences. Obviously you’re too large and too bony to make a proper stand-in for my dear Pudsey, but you’ll do in a pinch.”

Merlin’s mouth opened. Closed. Opened again. And then he caved.

“I’m only doing this because your bed is softer than mine,” Merlin grumbled as he settled in, the warmth of him stretched out along Arthur’s side both welcome and strange. “I think the innkeeper put nails in my mattress. That bastard is even more of a prat than you—and with less reason!” Merlin huffed indignantly and finally lapsed into silence, breaths going slow and even in short order.

Testing his limits, Arthur shifted carefully and slipped an arm over Merlin, allowing himself a secret smile when Merlin only shifted closer, muttering one last affectionate “prat” before drifting off into deep slumber. When he was sure Merlin would not wake, Arthur reached under his pillow and ran his fingers over the familiar fur of the not-so-missing bear he had smuggled there earlier.

Life was good.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Sleep, Sweet Prince [podfic]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/225568) by [EosRose](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EosRose/pseuds/EosRose)
  * [The Merlin Drabble Anthology - Volume I [podfic anthology]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/225882) by [EosRose](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EosRose/pseuds/EosRose)




End file.
